So-called E.S.D. areas are produced for the handling of sensitive electronic components, for instance, offering total absence to isolated electric charges by the use of conductive materials at every level because electrostatic discharges can generate interference or cause the failure of said electronic components.
In a known technique, there are components for the production of floor coverings, and more especially components like tiles or floorboards referred to as electro-conductive, said components being obtained for instance, by the extrusion of plastic material to form granules which are mixed with stainless steel fibres and again extruded and/or injected to form a flexible plastic material panel liable to be cut into tiles or floorboards.
The drawback of these tiles or floorboards is that are unsuitable for loose laying on the floor. They must be bonded onto the floor with an acrylic adhesive or conductive adhesive in order to form an antistatic floor covering. Beforehand, the support for said tiles or floorboards must be prepared. The dimensional stability of this type of tile or floorboard can be improved.
There is also a known way of producing conductive resins, comprising carbon black granules, to be applied directly to the floor to form an electro-conductive floor covering. However, this type of floor covering cannot be loose laid and requires the preparation of the support. What is more, the room or premises receiving the support must be locked during the resin application operation.
To obtain electro-conductive floor coverings, there is also a known way of using conductive polyvinyl chloride rolls, comprising carbon black granules. However, the drawback of these rolls is that they cannot be loose laid and require the preparation of the support. In addition, it is also necessary to lock the room containing the rolls during the laying of said rolls. The type of floor covering obtained is not removable. It is impossible to change just one tile. Finally, resistance to traffic is relatively low.